The Heritage group within the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities is interested in identification of sites of documentable significance for biodiversity conservation. This parallels other strategies, including efforts to identify global 'Key Biodiversity Areas‘.
The CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and Aichi Biodiversity Targets also highlight this goal:
“Target 11: By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved …” (see: http://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/rationale/target-11/)
Sites of particular importance for biodiversity include important places for phylogenetic diversity or “evolutionary heritage”. GEO BON (Global Biodiversity Observation Network) includes phylogenetic diversity in its framework for monitoring biodiversity change. Our study provides an exemplar for GEO BON, through strategies to integrate phylogenetic diversity over multiple taxonomic groups, and development of useful indices relating to phylogenetic diversity conservation and change.